If Looks Could Kill

When you have body dysmorphic disorder, you can be so affected by a blemish that you don’t want to step out of your house.

- Adora Wong

Almost all of us have something about our appearance we wish we could change. But whether our skin isn’t clear enough or teeth aren’t straight enough, these imperfections don’t stop us from stepping out of the house. They’re annoying, but they don’t interfere with our daily lives.

But for someone with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), flaws – imaginary or otherwise – can become an obsession. They can spend hours thinking about these perceived defects, no matter how small. They may even shun social situations so others aren’t able to notice these “flaws”. Many people with this mental disorder are at risk of depression and suicide, and some turn to plastic surgery to lower their emotional distress.

The common assumption is that people with BDD are just extremely vain, but that isn’t true. “Most people with BDD often report shame, low self-worth and feeling fundamentally unlovable and unacceptable because of their ‘flaw’. This has nothing to do with vanity,” says Dr Hanita Assudani, Clinical Psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health.

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